Diego Cocca, current coach of the Mexican Soccer Team.
Photo: Etzel Espinoza / Imago7
After much anticipation, finally Diego Cocca shared his first squad list for the Mexican National Team with a view to the matches that El Tri will play, first against Suriname on March 23 and then against Jamaica six days later, for the Concacaf Nations League.
During the press conference in which he presented an extensive list of 24 players, Diego Cocca also stressed that there is another group of players who are being closely watched and that he has spoken with many of them. One of them is the skilled midfielder for the Águilas del América, Alexander Zendejas.
The case of Alejandro Zendejas is well known. The man born in Ciudad Juárez completed his youth training in the United States minor leagues but has always had the intention of wearing green with Mexico. However, a run-in with the previous coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino kept him from the possibility of playing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he was at his best level.
Diego Cocca remarked that the possibility of Zendejas playing with the Mexican National Team is his entire decision and to complete the Federation change documents.
“The decision is his (…) For him to be with us he has to sign a paper, Alejandro Zendejas knows it,” said the Argentine coach.
Likewise, Cocca stressed that the 25-year-old midfielder must be “convinced and committed” to be part of this process that has just begun.
Alejandro Zendejas thinks about it
Several sources close to Alejandro Zendejas assured ESPN that the América player has not made a final decision as to which team he will play with, Mexico or the United States, ahead of the March matches for the Nations League.
While El Tri will face Suriname and Jamaica, the team from ‘The Stars and Stripes’ will clash against Grenada and El Salvador.
Despite the fact that Zendejas played a friendly match in January with the United States, it was unofficial and therefore he is not tied to FIFA against that Federation.
Excluded by Diego Cocca
Asked about other names that do not appear on the list, such as captains Héctor Herrera and Andrés Guardado, or Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, who has been banned since long ago, the Mexico coach did not get into the mud and generally expressed that “those who do not they are being closely followed today”.
“When they are at the level, they will surely be called up,” he added.
In the list of 34 players, the return of the scorer Santiago Giménez stands out, who has been completing a very good season with Feyernoord of the Netherlands and has scored 10 goals in all the competitions he has played.
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